Britain: Israel responsible for misuse of British passports

[Scurrilous]

Investigation reveals that Israel behind forging of passports used in killing of Hamas man in Dubai, British foreign secretary tells parliament; Israeli diplomat has been expelled from London over affair, he says

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3867102,00.html

<snip>

"A thorough British investigation concluded that Israel was behind the forging of British passports used by the alleged assassins of Hamas man Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai, Britain's foreign secretary told parliament Tuesday.

David Miliband added that an Israeli diplomat has been expelled from London over the alleged use of forged UK passports.

The foreign Secretary told lawmakers on Tuesday that the diplomat, who has not been named, was removed following an investigation into the use of 12 fake passports in the January 20 slaying in Dubai.

Britain now seeks assurances that Israel will not be party to the misuse of passports in the future, Miliband said. He noted that he handed over a letter to Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, seeking an official guarantee that Israel will never again misuse UK passports.

Miliband said Israel's actions had put British nationals at risk and showed a "profound disregard" for Britain's sovereignty. He said the fact that Israel is a longtime ally with close business, personal and political ties to Britain "adds insult to injury" in this case."

[Scurrilous]

1. Britain issues Israel travel warning amid expulsion over passport row

<snip>

"The British Foreign Office on Tuesday issued a travel advisory to citizens traveling to Israel and the Palestinian territories, just hours after it decided to expel an Israeli diplomat over the use of forged British passports used by the killers of a Hamas commander in Dubai

Citing "circumstantial evidence of Israeli involvement in the fraudulent use of British passports," the Foreign Office warned on its Web site of the "possibility that your passport details could be captured for improper uses while your passport is out of your control."

"The risk applies in particular to passports without biometric security features," the warning on the Web site said. "We recommend that you only hand your passport over to third parties including Israeli officials when absolutely necessary."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1158345.html

[shaayecanaan]

2. Australian Federal Police sends three officers to Israel...

Israeli officials said last night the Australian Federal Police had sought and been granted approval for three officers to travel immediately to Israel to interview three Australians whose passports were misused by the killers of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.

The AFP officers will interview dual Australian-Israeli citizens Nicole McCabe, Adam Korman and Joshua Bruce, whose passport details were used, with substituted photographs, by the assassination team.

[Scurrilous]

3. Australia examines British evidence against Israel

British foreign secretary offers Australian counterpart report containing evidence Israel forged passports in Dubai hit to use in investigation

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3867322,00.html

<snip>

"An Australian investigation into fake passports used by a suspected hit squad that assassinated a Hamas operative in Dubai will examine a British report that found evidence that Israel was responsible for forging the documents.

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Wednesday that British Foreign Secretary David Miliband offered him the report by the Serious and Organized Crime Agency for use by Australian police in their investigation into four forged Australian passports allegedly used by the suspects.

Britain took the extraordinary step of expelling an Israeli diplomat for the first time in more than 20 years after concluding there was compelling evidence that Israel was responsible for the use of doctored British passports in the plot to kill Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in January.

Smith declined to say whether his government was likely to take similar action when the Australian investigation concludes. He said he did not know when that investigation would end.

"To make any commentary or remarks about what the United Kingdom government has done would necessarily cut across our own investigation and what decisions we might make," Smith told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio."

[Violet_Crumble]

4. Rightist MKs: 'British are dogs, who are they to judge?'

Members of Knesset were outraged with Britain's accusations against Israel over the assassination of a Hamas official in Dubai and its threats to expel an Israeli diplomat from London over the stolen passports affair. MK Arieh Eldad said on Tuesday that the British were behaving hypocritically and compared them to dogs.

Eldad also gave an interview to the British Sky network, and said that a British diplomat should be expelled in response, "maybe the military attaché". British media has been covering the crisis since Tuesday morning.

When asked of the comparison, Eldad said, "I was just quoting what was said in Latroun 62 years ago. I think the British are being hypocritical and I do not wish to insult dogs here, since some dogs show true loyalty. Who gave the British the right to judge us on the war on terror?"

The National Union MK addressed the Passover haggadah, as passed down to him from his father, the late Lehi leader Yisrael Eldad. "When my father held the seder in Latroun before 500 prisoners he read Chad Gadya (One goat song sung at Passover) to the British prison commander. And the question was posed: If the goat is righteous, then the cat is evil, then the dog is righteous, then the stick is evil – and in the end it turns out that, heaven forbid, God Almighty is evil. What is the answer he gave to the Briton? The answer was that 'the goat may be righteous, the cat may be evil, but you are the dog. You Briton. Who gave you the right to judge?'"

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3866929,00.html

[Tripmann]

5. "Who gave the British the right to judge us on the war on terror?"

The people who stole the identities of british citizens.

Next question please.....

[Scurrilous]

6. Israel braces for more expulsions in passport row

<snip>

"Israel, which had hoped a row over the use of forged passports in the killing of a top Hamas militant in Dubai was over, now fears other countries will follow Britain's lead in expelling diplomats.

Australia, France, Germany and Ireland are all investigating the suspected theft of the identities of their nationals in the January murder of Hamas commander Mahmud al-Mabhuh and have yet to announce their conclusions.

Britain was unequivocal about its own findings on Tuesday as it announced the expulsion of an Israeli diplomat from London.

"There are compelling reasons to believe that Israel was responsible for the misuse of the British passports," Foreign Secretary David Miliband told parliament.

"Given that this was a very sophisticated operation in which high-quality forgeries were made, the government judges it is highly likely that the forgeries were made by a state intelligence service," Miliband said."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100324/wl_afp/mideastconflicthamasisraeldiplomacy

[Sara Bradi]

7. VIDEO: David Miliband's report to passport forgery

British foreign secretary David Miliband's report on passport forgery by Israel.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/house_of_commons/newsid_8582000/8582802.stm

Countries are finally standing up...

[Scurrilous]

8. Report: Australia also likely to expel Israeli diplomat

Australian newspaper reports that, contrary to what was originally thought, chances are high Canberra will follow suit with London over passport forgeries. 'It appears Israeli officials have received indications that Australia is preparing to expel diplomat,' report says

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3867820,00.html

<snip>

"Israel is bracing itself for the possibility that Australia will follow in Britain's footsteps and will expel an Israeli diplomat in response to the use of forged Australian passports in the assassination of Hamas man Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, largely believe to have been carried out by Israel's spy agency, the Mossad.

Official Israeli sources told The Australian on Wednesday that among the countries whose passports were forged, Australia is the most likely to follow suit with Britain.

The newspaper reported that Israel did not believe Australia would take such a drastic measure following reports of Britain's move, but that estimates have since changed.

"It appears that Israeli officials have received indications in Canberra that Australia is preparing to expel a diplomat," the newspaper reported."


Israel expects Canberra to expel diplomat over forged passports used in murder

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/politics/israel-expects-canberra-to-expel-diplomat-over-forged-passports-used-in-murder/story-e6frgczf-1225844978406

[Violet_Crumble]

9. I hope we also add that same travel advisory that the UK has...

From the article: 'In a further snub to Israel, Britain amended its official travel advice to warn its citizens that if they travelled to Israel, they were at risk of identity theft.'

I doubt the Australian govt has the balls to expel a diplomat, but I think regardless of what happens there that our travel advisory needs to be changed so it says what the UK one does...